Aregbesola Writes INEC, Demands Halt to ADC Leadership Changes
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding that the commission suspend any changes to the leadership records of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) pending the determination of his appeal against a recent Federal High Court judgment.
Aregbesola, who serves as National Secretary of the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark, made the request through his lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, SAN.
In the letter dated November 9 and addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the former Osun State governor asked the electoral commission to maintain the existing records of the party’s leadership until the court determines his pending application for a stay of execution.
The letter was received by INEC on Monday, November 9, with an acknowledged copy made available in Abuja.
Aregbesola’s intervention comes amid the ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC, which has generated legal battles over the party’s national leadership and the authority of its different factions.
The former minister informed INEC that he had already filed a notice of appeal challenging the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 5, 2026.
He also disclosed that a motion on notice seeking a stay of execution of the judgment had been filed on November 7.
Through the application, Aregbesola is seeking to prevent the enforcement of the court’s orders against him while his appeal remains pending.
He specifically urged INEC not to take administrative decisions that could affect his position as National Secretary or alter the commission’s existing records on the ADC leadership before the court considers his application.
In the letter, his lawyer stated: “We ask that the comrnission defer any discretionary changes that could prejudice the relief sought in the pending application.”
The correspondence was titled, “ADC Leadership — Formal Notice of thr Federal High Court Judgment of 2nd July, 2026, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Appeal and Pending Motion for Stay of Execution in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe V. African Democratic Congress & Ors.”
Sheriff explained that the commission needed to consider the latest development alongside an earlier judgment delivered by another judge of the same Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the lawyer, Justice Musa Liman had, on July 2, 2026, delivered a judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, involving Rep. Leke Abejide against the ADC and other defendants.
Aregbesola was listed as the fourth defendant in that case, while INEC was the fifth defendant.
The lawyer maintained that the July judgment expressly recognised David Mark as the National Chairman of the ADC and Aregbesola as the National Secretary.
He further explained that the court had upheld the process through which the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, transferred the party’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola.
According to Sheriff, the court made specific pronouncements in Orders 3, 4 and 5 concerning the validity of the leadership transition and the commission’s authority to recognise the two officials in their respective positions.
The letter stated: “We write to place before the commission the certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment of 2nd July, 2026, which expressly declared Mr. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the duly appointed National Chairman and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.
“The commission was a party to that suit and to the subsequent proceedings in which an injunction concerning our client’s recognition was granted against it.”
Sheriff argued that the July 2 judgment remained relevant to the leadership dispute, particularly because, according to him, no appeal had been filed against the decision as far as his legal team was aware.
He therefore urged INEC to consider the earlier judgment alongside the more recent ruling delivered by Justice Lifu on November 5.
The senior lawyer explained that the November 5 judgment arose from a separate suit filed by Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe against the ADC and other defendants.
He said the ruling contained two perpetual injunctions affecting his client’s recognition by the electoral commission.
According to him, the orders included an injunction restraining INEC from recognising or dealing with Aregbesola in the capacities specified in the judgment.
Sheriff maintained that his client had challenged the decision through the appropriate legal process and had also approached the court for an order suspending its enforcement pending the determination of the appeal.
He said the application was intended to prevent the implementation of the disputed orders to the extent that they affected Aregbesola’s position within the party.
The lawyer stated: “The motion seeks a stay of enforcement of the two perpetual injunctions insofar as they affect him, including the injunction restraining the commission from recognising or dealing with him (Aregbesola) in the capacities specified in the judgment.”
He further drew INEC’s attention to what he described as the existence of two judgments from the same judicial division addressing the commission’s relationship with Aregbesola over the ADC leadership.
According to him, the situation required the electoral body to carefully examine the legal implications of both decisions before making further changes to its records.
The lawyer consequently requested that INEC formally place the certified true copy of the July 2 judgment in its official records.
He also asked the commission to forward both judgments and the relevant court processes to its Legal Services Department for urgent examination.
